Perplexity’s $34.5 Billion Bid for Chrome Could Reshape Search Competition

Perplexity AI is making one of the boldest moves in tech this year by offering $34.5 billion in cash for Google’s Chrome browser.

The unsolicited bid comes as U.S. regulators push for a breakup of Google’s core products following last year’s court ruling that found it held an illegal monopoly in online search.

The Department of Justice has proposed Chrome’s divestiture as one remedy, calling it a critical gateway to the internet that could level the playing field for competitors.

Doing so will "permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet,” according to the DOJ.

The three-year-old startup, last valued between $14 billion and $18 billion, says multiple investors are willing to finance the deal in full, with backers including Nvidia and SoftBank.

Perplexity’s founder and CEO, Aravind Srinivas, is betting that Chrome’s massive user base could transform the company’s standing in the AI-powered search race.

The AI platform already offers the browser Comet, which executes certain tasks for users.

Acquiring Chrome’s more than 3 billion users would give it instant market scale and potentially new data streams to refine its search technology.

Google has yet to comment on the bud. 

Over the past few months, the company has consistently stated its plans to appeal the antitrust ruling and argued that the DOJ’s proposals are “wildly overbroad.”

How Chrome Could Fit Into Perplexity’s Plans

Perplexity’s offer includes commitments to keep Chrome’s open-source codebase "Chromium" available to developers, invest $3 billion over two years, and maintain Google as the default search engine, as reported by Reuters.

That last point is significant: keeping Google Search in place for now lets Perplexity avoid triggering an immediate disruption in user behavior, while still gaining control over the browser’s interface and update cycle.

AI companies are moving to control the primary way people access the internet because it gives them influence over searches and results.

OpenAI is reportedly working on its own browser, while Meta has explored AI-driven search integrations.

Perplexity’s prior high-profile move, which was a proposed merger with TikTok’s U.S. operations earlier this year, didn’t materialize, but it demonstrated the startup’s willingness to engage in high-stakes negotiations.

Whether regulators, Google, and Perplexity’s investors see this bid as viable remains uncertain.

But if approved, it could dramatically alter how billions of users access the web, as well as who benefits from their searches, as Bop Design's Creative Principal Kara Jensen explains:

"A Perplexity–Chrome deal could shift the starting point of the B2B buyer journey. Instead of fighting for page-one rankings on Google, businesses would need to ensure they’re among the trusted sources AI cites inside the browser itself. Fresh, authoritative, and structured content would become essential marketing priorities."

Our Take: What’s Really at Stake Here?

The bid is more than about one browser changing hands, but also about who controls the primary entry point to online information.

If Perplexity succeeds, it would gain unprecedented influence over search behavior, ad targeting, and user data flows, which could redraw the competitive map for AI-driven search.

For marketers, a Chrome owned by a fast-moving startup could mean faster innovation cycles, but also more volatility in advertising rules and placements.

Businesses relying on Google’s ad ecosystem might need to adapt quickly if Perplexity's bid sees the light of day.

In other news, Snap's Q2 2025 report revealed that its ad revenue growth slowed dramatically, growing only 4%.